About Us

Meet the Chef - VPN Certified Pizzaiolo

Meet our Chef and co-owner – Angel Mendoza.

Having completed a rigorous training from Carlos Rosario International School Culinary Arts Program, Angel worked at the Michelin awarded 2Amys restaurant in Washington DC, where he made his way from a dishwasher up to a kitchen manager, gaining his experience with a well-known Chef and restaurant’s owner, Peter Pastan.

Prior to becoming a co-owner of Baronessa, Angel launched three Red Rocks restaurants in DC and VA, overseeing all of them for the next seven years. He was in charge of menus development, managed the kitchen, cooking as well as overseeing catering services.

Seven years later, having ensured that the restaurants became well established, Angel felt ready for his new dream endeavor – launching his own restaurant. Few months after opening Baronessa, Angel completed a training led by none other than the President of VPN (Verace Pizza Napoletana) Association, Peppe Miele and became VPN certified pizzaiolo chef.

Angel’s motto is “Food should make people happy. And it does, when made with love, attention to detail and talent”.

Since “food is one of the simplest ways to increase the level of human’s happiness”, as Angel likes saying, he not only creates delicious menus, but can also come up with a Chef’s special on the go, when talking to our regular guests and finding out more about their tastes and mood. Such personalized attitude allows our customers to follow not only the menu, but also their heart wishes.

In Angel’s opinion: “However hard you try to keep up with restaurant trends, the ever high demand trend is “simply” human to human attention. It is always en vogue. This definitely sets us apart from the majority of other places in the area, though the beginning and the end of any argument about restaurants remains the food. And it’s hard to beat us on this!”

We are inviting you to meet the Chef in person and find out what would become your favorite at Baronessa, or to get your personalized Chef’s Special!

Who We Are

You will enjoy traditional Italian food, including, but not limited to a rich variety of hand-made pastas and thin crust Neapolitan wood-fired pizzas. Our Chef, Angel Mendoza, a true connoisseur and admirer of Italian cuisine, personally chooses the freshest ingredients to ensure the highest food quality.

The restaurant has a spacious free parking lot. It is conveniently located in Rockville, MD, close to Olney, Leisure World, King Farm, Gaithersburg, North Bethesda, Potomac, Wheaton and Kensington.

It can seat up to 100 people and has a new bar which seats 9 and two big TVs.

Baronessa has relaxed and cozy home-style atmosphere, offering a good choice of menus and wines. This is the right place to enjoy time with the whole family, as the restaurant has a kids’ menu (For Bambini) and weekend brunch. Business customers will enjoy affordable lunch options.

Come to have dinner with friends and loved ones, have a family celebration or a party, or simply order a carry-out! The “sweet teeth” will fall in love with original Italian desserts selection. The menu also includes salads, gluten free and vegetarian options.

We are happy to provide catering for both business meetings and special family occasions. Chef Angel will be happy to discuss with you all details to create a personalized menu.

Marcel Jares and Angel Mendoza, who you can often meet in person over lunch or dinner, became business partners in 2016, and bought Baronessa Italian Restaurant in 2017. As new owners, they continue good old traditions, maintaining guests’ favorite recipes and also bringing on the new to serve the guests’ diverse tastes.